Hometown

6.9
202113h

A mystery evil thriller which finds the truth of a recording tape containing mysterious serial killings and unidentified sounds in a small city.

Production

Logo for Studio Dragon
Logo for CJeS Studios
Logo for Arc Media

Seasons

12 Episodes • Premiered 2021

In a small town in 1999, the sister of a convicted terrorist joins a detective's investigation into bizarre recording tapes capturing serial killings.

Still image for Hometown season 1 episode 1: A Missing Girl

1. A Missing Girl

9.0

A murder takes place on an evening in the pouring rain, and Cho Jung Hyun, who has just returned to her hometown after 12 years, realizes that Cho Jae Young, her beloved niece, has gone missing. Meanwhile, Choi Hyung In, the detective in charge of the murder case, finds out that there is a relationship between the missing girl and Cho Kyung Ho, the culprit who’s been charged and imprisoned for committing the Saju Station Gas Terror Attack.

Still image for Hometown season 1 episode 2: A Tape

2. A Tape

9.0

Hyung In and the police start the investigation to find Jae Young. Hyung In meets Jae Young’s school friends and they tell him about a tape. Hyung In finally obtains the tape, but a creepy and weird sound comes out from the tape. Meanwhile, Jung Hyun also tries to find Jae Young on her own. At places she visits, she gets to see some strange patterns. She knows that she has seen the patterns before, but don’t remember what they are.

Still image for Hometown season 1 episode 3: The Mixtape

3. The Mixtape

8.0

Hyung In tries to find leads to Cho Jae Young’s case by listening to the cassette tape where mysterious sounds are recorded. When a drug addict’s body is found at the port, Hyung In realizes that this case is related to a drug ring. Meanwhile, Jung Hyun finds a videotape she watched with her high school friends. The content is so creepy and mysterious but it’s even more strange that no one remembers watching it.

Still image for Hometown season 1 episode 4: The Inverted Dream

4. The Inverted Dream

9.0

Due to an explosion, Hyung In’s partner Si Jeong gets injured, which devastates Hyung In. This makes him drop the case. However, a key suspect of Jae Young’s case, Kim Hwan Kyu turns himself in. Jung Hyun hears from Jae Young’s friends that Jae Young had sent them a message a month before Kim Hwan Kyu turned himself in, and this makes Jung Hyun believe that Jae Young is still alive.

Still image for Hometown season 1 episode 5: Guru

5. Guru

9.0

Jung Hyun is kidnapped and forced into a mysterious ritual. She realizes that Jae Young is not dead and is held by the people of Youngjingyo. The man who works as a representative of Youngjingyo reveals a shocking truth behind the 1987 terror attack. Hyung In also realizes that he’s been surrounded by Youngjingyo for a very long time.

Still image for Hometown season 1 episode 6: The Interview

6. The Interview

8.0

After Jung Hyun is released and sent back home, she leaves again to look for Jae Young with Yong Tak. Another murder case occurs in Saju City. To get to the bottom of all this mystery, Hyung In decides to do it his way.

Still image for Hometown season 1 episode 7: One Family Welfare Center

7. One Family Welfare Center

8.0

Hyung In hears from Jung Hyun that she saw Jae Young at the place where Youngjingyo believers hold their rite. When Hyung In meets Kyung Ho at the prison, he hears something shocking. Meanwhile, Jung Hyun is taken by mysterious men and meets Im In Gwan.

Still image for Hometown season 1 episode 8: The Magazine Club Kids

8. The Magazine Club Kids

8.0

Jung Hyun turns down In Gwan’s offer and starts looking for leads with Yong Tak again. Meanwhile, Hyung In is put in a tough spot as Kim Hwan Kyu tells the press that he was tortured during the investigation. Hyung In also hears a rumour that there’s a video tape named “Mixed Tape” circulating in Saju City and that those who watched the video are saying strange things.

Still image for Hometown season 1 episode 9: Cheonyang Filtration Plant

9. Cheonyang Filtration Plant

8.0

Hyung-in heads to the Cheonyang Filtration Plant to stop the disaster that is about to occur in Saju. But he becomes tied up by the Youngjingyo believers. There he hears that another gas terror attack that’s similar to that of 1987 is about to take place. The people in Saju start to flock around the filtration plant as if they’re possessed by something.

Still image for Hometown season 1 episode 10: Cho Kyung Ho

10. Cho Kyung Ho

9.0

A few days after the Cheonyang Filtration Plant incident, Cho Kyung Ho escapes from the institution. Hyung In and Jung Hyun promise to meet up and go look for Kyung Ho together, but she doesn’t show up. She only leaves an address for Hyung In. When Hyung In gets there, he sees something he did not expect to see.

Still image for Hometown season 1 episode 11: The Heir

11. The Heir

9.0

Jung-hyun joins Youngjingyo as the next heir who will replace Jae-young. Watching those inside who are merely waiting to face their death, Jung-hyun comes to the conclusion that she needs to take extreme measures. Meanwhile, Kyung-ho, after the release from the prison, pays Kyung-sook, his mother, a visit before the last phase of the experiment. Hyung-in at the same time realizes the intention behind Kyung-ho’s message.

Still image for Hometown season 1 episode 12: Choi Hyung In

12. Choi Hyung In

8.0

By sacrificing herself, Jung Hyun shows the believers that what the proxy is saying is wrong, and the Youngjingyo believers change their minds. Meanwhile, Jae Young follows In Gwan to the Youngjingyo building to save her aunt, and Hyung In goes to Kyung Ho who is waiting for him. When they meet, Kyung Ho makes a final offer to Hyung In that can put an end to this long experiment.

Cast

Photo of You Chea-myung

You Chea-myung

Choi Hyung-in

Photo of Han Yeri

Han Yeri

Jo Jung-hyun

Photo of Um Tae-goo

Um Tae-goo

Jo Kyung-ho

Photo of Kim Sae-byuk

Kim Sae-byuk

Im Se-yoon

Photo of Choi Gwang-il

Choi Gwang-il

Im In-gwan

Photo of Lee Re

Lee Re

Jo Jae-young

Photo of Park Mi-hyeon

Park Mi-hyeon

Jung Kyung-sook

Photo of Kim Yae-eun

Kim Yae-eun

Choi Kyung-joo

Photo of Heo Jung-eun

Heo Jung-eun

Kim Moon-sook

Photo of Jo Bok-rae

Jo Bok-rae

Lee Shi-jung

Photo of Kim Jung

Kim Jung

Jung Min-jae (Jo Jung-hyun Friend)

More Like This

Reviews

M

MovieGuys

7/10

Hometown would have worked better, had it been a series of maybe 8-10 episodes, rather than 12.

I felt this series dragged its heels, getting to the point where things really started to happen. With a similar vibe to Japanese film, The Ring, this series, is eerie but lacks the genuine terror, I'd associate, with its superior, Japanese counterpart.

As I said, its not helped by being overly long, with drop in side characters, who often add little of merit to the story.

Acting by contrast, is excellent and key characters are, very believable.

In short, Hometown is a mixed bag. Eerie but not really overly scary, too long but with a solid enough story, to carry things forward.

P

ParkMin

3/10

Went from promising to disappointing real quick. Cults and hypnosis/mind-control is the worst combination to make a mystery/thriller/horror drama. It gives the writer an unlimited pass for a lazy writing and this is what we got here. The cast was alright tho.

You've reached the end.